1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to vehicle accessories. More particularly, this invention relates to a lighting system for illuminating the bed of a truck or similar vehicle.
2. State of the Art
In recent years truck ownership has increased substantially. Today, trucks are used for more than hauling large loads. Truck owners view their trucks as a personal statement i.e., a reflection of their character, attitude, and personality. Truck owners appreciate the functional utility and versatility that trucks can offer over the more prevalent sedans or 18. Every year, truck owners spend considerable sums of money improving and personalizing the functionality and appearance of their trucks.
While there are many important benefits to owning a truck, there are a few shortcomings. For example, while the interior of a sedan or minivan can easily be illuminated by an overhead lighting system, this is not possible in an open truck bed. Although trucks generally have an overhead light mounted within the cab itself, this light is not sufficiently bright or properly directed to adequately illuminate the truck bed. While exterior lights are sometimes mounted rearward on rollover bars or on the top or rear of the truck cab, these lights cannot be used to illuminate the truck bed while the vehicle is being driven down a road, as these lights will temporarily blind drivers behind the truck. In some states, even if the lights are facing the front of the truck, the lights above the cab must have a cover to prevent them from accidentally temporarily blinding other drivers.
While mounting lights on the cab of the truck may be helpful and better than having no lights, they are not really effective in properly illuminating the entire truck bed without temporarily blinding someone approaching the truck bed from the rear. Further, they do not eliminate the need for the owner to use a flashlight when rummaging about the back bed, because of the shadows and uneven lighting conditions which result when taller objects are properly positioned closer to the cab of the truck thereby blocking the lights from illuminating shorter objects closer to the tailgate of the truck. Still further, such additional equipment is bulky and significantly affects the look and aerodynamics of the vehicle.
An attempt to address these shortcomings was presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,051 of Galanski. The '051 patent discloses a rearward facing lighting system designed to be mounted between the side walls of the truck bed against the front wall of the bed near the rear wall of the cab of the truck. The rearward facing lighting system of the '051 patent is oriented such that the top wall of the lighting system support is positioned generally level with the top of the side walls of the truck bed such that the rearward facing light assemblies are positioned below the top of the bed of the truck. In this manner, the truck bed may be illuminated even if a bed cover is installed. While the invention of the '051 patent alleviates some of the problems associated with traditional truck bed lighting systems, it does not adequately address the problems associated with having rearward facing lights mounted on a truck. Nor does it address or reduce the problems associated with uneven distribution of light along the length of the truck bed. Actually, because the lighting system of the '051 patent is mounted below the level of more traditional lighting systems, it actually accentuates many of the problems associated with uneven and inadequate lighting of the truck bed, as it creates even greater potential for shadows and unilluminated spaces in the truck bed. Further, the truck lighting system of the '051 patent requires the installation of a mounting system, which reduces the functionality of the truck bed by blocking valuable space in the back of the truck bed closest to the cab. Still further, the truck owner may wish instead to install a tool box or other functional accessory which is generally mounted closest to the truck cab. Still further, because these lights are exposed to the interior of the truck bed, they can easily be damaged by weather or by inadvertent contact of object stored in the truck bed. Also, because the truck lighting system of the '051 patent faces rearward and shines light in the direction of drivers behind the truck, it requires that a tailgate of a truck be in the closed position when the lights are illuminated to prevent the temporary blinding of drivers behind the vehicle.
What is needed is a truck lighting system which can accomplish one or more of the following: (i) effectively illuminate the entire length of the truck bed without temporarily blinding drivers behind the vehicle or those positioned at the tailgate of the truck even when the tailgate is removed; (ii) be protected from accidental damage due to contact with objects contained within the truck bed or due to damage from weather; (iii) will not impede the use of the entire space of the truck bed nor distract from the intended aesthetic design of the truck; and (iv) can be easily installed either in the factory or after market without modification to the design of the truck.